Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Date Day

Yesterday I took the two big kids on our annual "Summer is almost over and we will be done driving each other crazy" dates.

Up first was Curly. We indulged in some pampering, her yearly choice. We both got orange sherbet colored toes and she got a fancy flower and her nails painted too. When we were finished, she got a milkshake, I got a Diet Coke. It was great and we had a very nice time.

After I dropped Curly at her friend's house it was StinkyMan's turn (and yay for Grammy who babysat the littlest ones for me.) He, of course, opted to go to Chuck E Cheese, where he proceeded to blow through eighty coins in about an hour. He spent most of his time on one game in particular and got quite good, managing to earn well over two hundred tickets.

When we were finished, I needed to run an errand. He was less than thrilled and I felt guilty. After all, Mommy/Son date time was not supposed to be about me.

As we drove to the craft store StinkyMan spotted the mall. "Mommy?" he said in that super cute, 6 year old boy voice that melts my heart, "Can we ride the escalators at the mall?"

I debated. I really didn't want to go to the mall. But really, what a sweet, simple request. As moms, we say no to so much. Why say no to this?

"You want to go now to ride the escalators at the mall as part of your Mommy/Stinkyman time?"

"Yeah. I like riding them."

"Okay, sure. Yes. We can do that!"

He was so excited I felt bad for ever even considering saying no. So we ran the errand and headed to the mall.

Up and down, up and down, up and down, up and down, up and down. Five trips total, or ten "rides" as StinkyMan called it. We laughed, we raced, we even tried to go down the up escalator.

A few older ladies were watching us, as well as one grandpa-ish looking gentleman. We got several smiles of approval. One lady asked if we were done shopping and so I told her why we were there. She thought that was just about the sweetest thing she'd ever heard.

When we were finished, StinkyMan held my hand as we skipped back to the car. He was so happy and I was, too, because I felt like a good mommy.

But mostly I was happy because I said yes. Sometimes I think I should say yes more often. No is sometimes easier, but yes? Yes can definitely be better.

DEAL OF THE DAY!!!

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Recipe of the Whenever I Get Around to Changing It.

Crockpot Tapioca Pudding (by request)

Ingredients:

2 quarts of 1% milk (half-gallon)
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup small pearl tapioca (The only place I found it was Raley's)
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

In a four quart or larger size crockpot, combine the milk, sugar, and tapioca pearls. Stir well to mix. Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours. You are looking for the tapioca to be soft and kind of slimy. The mixture will not be very thick, but that's how it's supposed to be. Even if it is thick, that's ok too.

In a separate bowl, mix the eggs with the vanilla. Take a 1/2 cup of the hot milk and tapioca mixture and whisk it into the egg bowl. Add another 1/2 cup of the hot milk and tapioca, and whisk that into the eggs, too. Then add yet another. Now you'll have a bowl of yellowy tapioca/egg mix.

Pour the contents of the egg/tapioca mix into the crockpot, and whisk until it is all well mixed.

Cover your crockpot and cook on high for another 30-45 minutes, or until the tapioca is pudding-like in consistency. Unplug and let it sit for about an hour to cool.

Ladle into serving-size bowls and chill in the refrigerator.

Or eat it hot hot hot right out of your crockpot. That's how we do it. So yummy on rainy Fall and Winter days.